rewrite this title Neymar: Brazil striker ‘wants to play at 2026 World Cup’ after ‘getting back in shape’ at Al Hilal

Brazil all-time top scorer Neymar has said he wants to play at the 2026 World Cup despite an injury absence of more than 13 months from international action.

The 32-year-old broke Pele’s record by scoring the 78th of his 79 international goals during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in September 2023 but ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Uruguay the following month.

“The World Cup is the goal for all players,” Neymar told RMC. “I’ve already played three times [at the finals], and I want to do a fourth.

“I have to be focused on that, prepare well here [at club side Al-Hilal] and have this medium-term objective after getting back in shape at my club.”

Rodygo assisting Neymar to break Pelé’s all-time goalscoring record for Brazil 🥺🇧🇷

Santos history 🤍 pic.twitter.com/dRWHMhONvE

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 9, 2023

Neymar injury comeback

In the short term, Neymar’s comeback plans have been scuppered by an injury he suffered in a brief second appearance following his comeback for the Saudi Pro League team.

Neymar was introduced as a second-half substitute in Al-Hilal’s 3-0 win over Iranian opponents Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Elite last month by lasted less than 30 minutes before pulling up.

Although Neymar described the injury as “hopefully nothing too much”, he is yet to add to his seven games for the club who paid a reported fee of more than £71 million to sign him from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2023.

“Unfortunately, it is not a simple injury,” Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said at the time. “He seems to be suffering from muscle pain and it is not a knee issue.”

🔹 Neymar undergoes scans pic.twitter.com/Gt7T4GxvKh

— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) November 6, 2024

Neymar Al Hilal contract

There has been speculation in Saudi Arabia that Al-Hilal will not re-register Neymar for the second half of their top-flight season.

He was not named in their squad for the first half of the campaign because of his injury but is allowed to play in international competitions.

Brazil squad: Neymar to return?

Brazil are not short of attacking options, with the likes of Real Madrid trio Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick and Barcelona’s Raphinha to call upon.

After missing two games at the 2022 World Cup with an ankle injury, Neymar produced two goals and one assists but was part of a team knocked out by Croatia in the quarter-finals.

The result ensured he has never played beyond the last eight of the tournament, having been ever-present and contributed two goals and two assists before Brazil were knocked out at that stage by Belgium in 2018.

At his first World Cup in 2014, Neymar finished on four goals and one assist in five games but missed Brazil’s 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany and 3-0 third-placed match loss to the Netherlands through injury.